


DaeJae Shorts

by WaterHorseyBlues



Category: B.A.P
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Blind Character, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Romantic Tension, Sexual Content, Theatre Rivals, blind painter au, catboy, daejae - Freeform, drabbble
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-06 06:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5405663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaterHorseyBlues/pseuds/WaterHorseyBlues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of DaeJae drabbles, ficlets, short stories and one shots</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. [Fluff] Waking Up

Waking up next to Youngjae never got old, Daehyun found. The younger vocalist slept peacefully, lips slightly parted and fluffy hair flopped about his face. One side of his face would be slightly squashed where he'd nuzzled into the pillow.

Most days, if he wasn't in a rush, Daehyun would reach a finger out and gently brush the dark locks from the other's face and stroke his soft cheek. Youngjae's eyes would flicker a little and his lips twitch, but he wouldn't wake. Sometimes he'd stir slightly and let out a small sigh, which would have Daehyun stifling himself as he tried not to make any adoring noises that might wake his lover.

Depending on the day, he would wake Youngjae in different ways. Some days he would simply stroke his hair until the sleeping man woke up from the touches, or he would lean in and place gentle kisses wherever wasn't lost in the pillows and bedsheets until Youngjae would either bat him away or kiss him back. Some days he would sing gently like a far kinder alarm clock, or whisper his name. On a rare day he would leave and get dressed, leaving the other to wake naturally, and then return with breakfast on a tray for the sleepy-eyed younger.

Some days, like today, he would lean in very close to Youngjae and take a deep breath. He would make sure it would definitely be right, then belt out the loudest highest note he could manage.

Youngjae woke with a jerk, kicking the bedsheets off and scrambling around, panicked and dazed. Daehyun fell into a fit of sniggers, already backing away and dodging the pillows thrown at him.

“Get here, hyung, I'm going to rip your throat out!” Youngjae screamed as Daehyun sprinted from the room.  


	2. The Dark of the Night

Night darkened the world like an inkstain and trapped Youngjae in the only orange smear beneath a street light. Walking home at night was always awful – the night life of a city could be hell – but somehow it was worse when the streets were empty. The alley ways were so shadowed they could have hidden an entire army.

This was what made Youngjae nervous. The idea of someone lurking between dark walls, watching his every move, hand wrapped firmly around a knife handle or a finger steady on the trigger of a gun. The hairs on his body raised as a tingle of fear swept over him. He pulled his bag a little closer to himself, took a deep breath, and took a few steps outside of the immediate glow of the light.

It wasn't far until he reached the next light. Only a small block of darkness between the safe zones. He just had to get across as fast as he could without drawing attention to himself.

He was in the mid point now, as far as he could be from either source of light, the darkest space, the most vulnerable he could be.

Something grabbed his hand and he flinched, letting out a short yelp.

“Hey! It's just me,” came a familiar voice from his side.

“Oh my God, Daehyun, where did you come from?” Youngjae wheezed out, heart still racing.

“Down the alley. I thought you'd seen me because you'd been looking my way the whole time.” Daehyun grinned at him and laced their fingers together.

“No, I didn't see you. Next time just call my name or something, don't sneak up on me.” They were under the next light now, both bathed in the warm light.

“Maybe next time I'll pretend to mug you,” Daehyun teased.

“Do that and I will break your ribs and leave you for the rats,” Youngjae threatened.

The older laughed heartily, unphased by the entirely sincere tone and murderous gaze Youngjae was giving him. He couldn't help but make a joke at this sort of thing, though he'd never actually do it. “You can't stay mad at me, Jae~” he batted his eyelashes innocently.

“You would be amazed at the expanse of my fury.”

“Naaah.” He leaned in and gave the younger a quick peck on the cheek, revelling in the way he pouted and looked away.

“Just walk home with me and stop messing about,” he mumbled. Youngjae couldn't say it, not with the way Daehyun was teasing him, but he felt infinitely more safe with the older at his side leading him home.


	3. [sexual content] Photos

Daehyun's phone was full of photos of Youngjae, it always had been. Recently the photos had become a bit inappropriate to show friends, and even more recently too inappropriate to sow the rest of B.A.P. Before it was photos of Youngjae sleeping or playing on his gadgets or generally out and about. Now they were a bit more... Personal.

It had begun when he'd left his phone unlocked and unattended on the side once, busy elsewhere doing something he couldn't quite remember. When he'd come back, it had clearly been handled by someone else and the camera app was still open. He nearly dropped the phone when he opened up the recent photos.

There was about twenty photos, all taken within seconds of each other, of Youngjae. But not just the sort of selfies someone takes to fill up storage with dumb faces. There was a very specific intention behind these photos.

Youngjae was dressed only in one of Daehyun's tops, the photo taken at such an angle that it showed nothing above his smooth thighs or the hem pulled down just enough to cover his crotch. Some of the photos, admittedly, were very cute as the younger puffed out his cheeks and threw up peace signs. Others were full of tongues and bitten lips and parted legs. Daehyun had to force himself not to set one as his background or lock screen.

His attempts to get more similar mostly failed as instead various members filled his phone with duckfaces and creepy smiles. The only success he'd managed was one of Youngjae who'd just got out of the shower and was pretending to be dropping his towel with an exaggerated startled expression (this was temporarily his background until the younger threw a fit about it).

The moment that really kicked it off, was the photo he'd taken of Youngjae at the Okinawa hotel. It had been a joke, just something to tease the younger with- and honestly he'd felt like the blush that covered the other's pale skin was enough of a reward after he realied he'd been photographed. Then it sort of snowballed from there.

He'd taken a photo of Youngjae the morning after a hot night, sat on the edge of the bed completely naked with his hair still thoroughly ruffled. He'd managed to get a shot a few days layer of Youngjae undressing. At first Youngjae had been really annoyed, but after a while he began to make fun of Daehyun by making silly poses or parodying pin-ups.

Then, once, Daehyun managed to take the crowning glory of his photo collection. He'd teased Youngjae to the point of begging, then moved away to get ready to give the younger what he wanted. The view before him was gorgeous and the chance too good to miss. He'd taken the photo before Youngjae even realised he had his phone.

“H-hey! Don't take photos like that without asking first!” Youngjae had sat up, covering himself shyly and snatched for the phone and stared at the screen.

The photo was obscene. The angle was from between Youngjae's spread legs, looking up over his body. His pale skin was flushed and he had a slight shimmer of sweat on his skin. His hair was messy, fanned out around his head and stray locks across his face. His lips were slightly parted and eyes half-lidded, looking at the camera.

To Daehyun's surprise, Youngjae had handed the phone back without deleting it.

“If you're going to look at images like that, I'd rather them be of me,” the younger had explained, “So I expect to get a few of you in return.”

Daehyun had happily complied.


	4. [AU] Catboy!Youngjae

It was one thing living with a catboy in your life, but somehow Youngjae was especially hectic to deal with. Sometimes he'd be dancing around and laughing, his tail wriggling about and knocking things over in his hyper state. Other times he'd act like he hated being in the house with Daehyun and would sit on stools or the edge of sofas and make snide comments. It was a bit of a roller coaster of experiences.

Youngjae liked to sleep in Daehyun's lap, tail curled around himself and head rested on his leg. If Daehyun stroked his hair and combed it neatly around the large pointed ears, the catboy would relax enough to purr in his sleep. It was the sort of thing that would stop Daehyun from moving even an inch, despite being starving or desperately needing the bathroom.

If Youngjae was in a strange mood, he would roll over and suddenly bite Daehyun's hand, sinking sharp teeth into his skin. They'd struggle and wrestle as Daehyun tried to free himself and Youngjae would be determined to rip his hand in half.

It was an odd lifestyle, but it worked for them. Man and cat, sharing a closer bond than most people were comfortable with. It may have seemed strange to some people that Daehyun could find the catboy so attractive, but the way Youngjae would twist his body as he lay on the floor or stretch after a nap had Daehyun staring.

Sometimes, only sometimes, when it was late and Youngjae was in a particularly frisky mood, he would stroke his hand down the catboy's back. Youngjae's spine would curve beautifully and his ears twitch with anticipation. His hand would settle at the base of his spine just before the sleek tail and Youngjae would arch up into the touch, tail rising up.

After that, Daehyun wouldn't care what anyone thought.


	5. [College AU]Baby It's Cold Outside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've started taking drabble requests and received "college students that stayed in the dorms during the holidays and got to know each other since no one else was around" ...that ended up being over 2.5k words ahaaha...

Daehyun stared out the window at the mountains of snow that had thoroughly prevented him from going home. The cold had seeped into the campus dorms and forced him into his cuddliest sweater and, much to his dismay, forced him to stay in the dorms over the holidays. This unexpected turn of events had caused him a minor disaster when he'd realised his food supplies had run very low.

As he mourned his empty cupboards, the distinct aroma of cooking food wafted its way into his nostrils. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Soup. Nice, warm, all-in-the-pot soup.

Before he could stop himself, he was drifting towards the source of the smell.

Surprisingly it took him through a few blocks until he reached the kitchen where the delightful smell was coming from and he pushed the door open without a thought. Inside stood a single person, probably the same age as him with short brown hair brushed out from his face. At the sound of the door opening, he turned and looked at Daehyun with a mildly confused expression.

“Oh, hey!” Daehyun said somewhat distractedly, eyes on the large cooking pot where the warm smell was coming from, “I didn't realise anyone else was in the building. I thought everyone had gone home.”

The other shrugged a little, “No reason for me to go home, thought I'd stay here.” He raised an eyebrow and followed Daehyun's gaze. “You hungry?”

“Uh, what?” Daehyun turned his eyes away quickly, “Um, that depends...”

“You're welcome to some,” the boy snorted and reached up into a cupboard to procure another bowl. “I'm Youngjae by the way.”

“Daehyun!” He replied, bounding over excitedly, “Thank you so much, I have mostly run out of food. I wasn't planning on staying but to get home is impossible in this weather.”

“Yeah, it looks like a nightmare out there. One of my friends was messaging me just now saying that their car is just stuck in the snow. Glad I didn't bother,” Youngjae mused, filling a bowl with soup and handing it to Daehyun along with a spoon.

“Wow, really?” He asked, “So why aren't you going home? Live too far away?” The last part was muffled around a spoon of soup he was shoving into his own mouth.

“My brother is busy and my parents went off on a holiday. No one else is around so I figured I'd stay here and get on with my assignments.” The brown-haired filled his own bowl and took a small sip of a spoonful. “Do you think this needs more salt?”

Daehyun paused, midway through raising his spoon to his mouth. Most of his soup had already been eaten. “Uh. It seems fine to me.”

Youngjae snorted and shook his head. “Definitely hungry then. You're lucky you found me, you might have died otherwise.”

“Yeah. I can see it now, me withered to bones on the floor, discovered weeks later by my neighbours moving back in.” He wiped away an imaginary tear.

“Or you could've braved the snow and marched to the campus shop.”

“Well, yes, but it's baby cold outside.”

“Did you just use the lyrics of that creepy song?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, anyway, it was nice knowing you Daehyun but I have to kick you out now.”

 

They developed a sort of pattern. Daehyun would show up at meal times with whatever scraps of food he'd managed to find in his cupboards or lying around his room and they'd use Youngjae's far more vast stocks to make a meal for the both of them. They'd chat about their courses, societies they were in, the people they knew, the local clubs, whatever came to mind. Then when all was cleaned away, Daehyun would leave Youngjae to study in peace while he ether went off to do his own work, or messed around online.

He'd just decided to break out one of his game consoles – which he'd packed away with the intention of taking it home – when he had a thought. After kicking some unwashed underwear out of sight, he bounded out of his room and to Youngjae's block. Despite never asking which room the younger boy lived in, he quickly deduced that the room with the music coming from it was likely his.

He rapped his knuckles on the door and nearly fell back in shock as it opened seconds later, showing Youngjae sat on a computer chair where he'd rolled back from his desk.

“If you're about to ask for food, after the lunch we just had, I will throw you out of a window,” the brown-haired boy warned.

“No, I mean I could definitely eat, but no.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and quickly said, “I was wondering if you wanted to play some video games or something. I've got plenty of controls for multiplayer.”

Youngjae eyed him for a moment, then looking at his work. “Well...” he hummed for a moment and threw his hands up, “Yeah, sure, I deserve a good break. What games have you got?”

“Loads. You can pick the first one,” he replied, grinning.

Somehow they'd started their gaming session on either side of the room, Youngjae on Daehyun's computer chair and Daehyun on his bed. As they shifted about between games and consoles and swapped place in front of the motion sensor games, they found themselves both sat shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor with the duvet wrapped around them. They'd come to the point of competitively butchering the other's chances of winning by slapping each other's hands or pressing the buttons randomly.

“Hah! You died, I win!” Daehyun punched the air triumphantly.

“Ah, damn! Let's play something else. What else do you have?” Youngjae glanced over at the large stack of games they'd managed to work through.

“Uh,” Daehyun stuck a hand into his suitcase and pulled out one last game, “Only karaoke, and trust me I can kick anyone's ass at this. I have a one-hundred percent perfect score on this.”

“Oh yeah?” The younger raised a challenging eyebrow, “I bet you I will win.”

“I don't think you know what you're getting into, but okay~” He put the disk in and the game started up. “You get first pick if you're so sure.”

Much to his surprise, Youngjae was incredible. His voice was soft but clear and strong, and his high notes made Daehyun feel a little bit threatened. He powered through the song like it had been written for him, but on the outside seemed like he was barely even trying. His end score was a perfect hundred.

“Okay. Well. That was unexpected.”

Youngjae laughed and handed the game-mic over. “I've done vocal training for years. I'd like to see you beat me at this.”

“Just you wait,” Daehyun grinned, and chose his song.

Youngjae was impressed, he could tell. Even without looking at the other, he knew he was being stared at. There was no doubting that he was a good singer. Maybe not as good as he felt he could be, he definitely thought he could get even better, but he was very good. He ended the song on one of his signature long high notes, and proudly watched the screen change to display his perfect score.

“Wow. All right then. Fair enough.” Youngjae nodded, “But the real question is, how long will your voice stay like that?”

The answer, as it turned out, was very long. They sang long into the night, going back and forth as they took turns getting their perfect scores. In the end, they'd completed all of the solo tracks.

“Okay, I have an idea,” Youngjae suggested as he glanced at the time, “How about, we take a break and eat. Then, we get back and do a competitive duet.”

Daehyun checked the time as well and saw it was well past midnight and was amazed his stomach hadn't complained yet. “Good idea, but how about this. We make lots of food in smaller portions and have loads of different dishes. The loser of the duet has to wash up.”

“You're on!”

Dozens of dishes, almost all the cutlery and multiple cups later they positioned themselves once more before the game. They sat with shoulders touching once more, huddled on top of the duvet. When the song began, they both went into it at full force.

It was very evident to both of them that they were too good for the game, and it was likely not intended for more talented singers to use with any seriousness. However, they'd almost stopped caring as they more and more into the song.

As they hit the last notes, harmonising beautifully together, they found themselves turning to look into each other's eyes. Their hands dropped to the floor at the same moment, Youngjae's fingers landing on top of Daehyun's. They didn't even notice the end screen declaring their scores.

There was a long silence before Youngjae finally spoke, “I, um, should probably go back to my work.”

“Oh.” Daehyun blinked, torn from the trance. “Yeah, okay.”

The younger stood up and straightened his clothes out a little and headed to the door. “Thanks for inviting me to play games. See you tomorrow. Good night.”

“Yeah, good night.” Daehyun gave the other's retreating back a quick wave. He stood up and pushed the door shut as quietly as possible, then turned around and slid down it back to the floor. “What was that?” He asked in a hushed tone to the empty room.

 

The cold seeped further into the building and somehow it felt like Daehyun's room had forgotten that walls were meant to keep the heat in. He huddled up in three layers of clothes , wrapped up in his duvet with whatever else large enough he could find to throw over the top. Just as he was dozing off, there was a loud knock on his door.

He let out a long groan at the thought of leaving his cosy nest. “One moment,” he called out, and dragged himself out from under the pile and half-danced over to the door, hoping it would be a quick visit.

Youngjae stood outside, wrapped in his own blanket and looking like the ice had taken him. His lips were nearly blue and he was shivering slightly. “Can I stay in your room? The heating has broken in my block and they don't know when it'll be next repaired.”

“Yeah, definitely. You look like you're about to freeze,” He stood back and let the icy boy through, who immediately huddled up in a corner.

“I wouldn't have been bothered usually but I can see my breath in my room and the taps are literally frozen.”

“Hey, don't worry about it. You're not being an inconvenience or anything. I can't let you freeze to death, you're my only source of food!”

Youngjae snorted and shook his head a little, “Good to know that's what I am to you.”

“Haha, yeah.” Daehyun grinned awkwardly as he climbed back onto his bed, then glanced back at the younger. “You're seriously planning to sleep on the floor?”

“Yeah. I'm not going to take your bed from you. I might steal a pillow though.”

“It's not exactly comfortable... You'll still be cold.”

“Anything is warmer than my room. Come on, throw me a pillow.”

“Why don't you just...” Daehyun began slowly, “sleep in my bed?”

Youngjae rolled his eyes, “I told you, I'm not going to kick you out of your bed.”

“You don't have to kick me out of my bed...”

“So then I'm sleeping on the floor. Get it together Daehyun, we can't both be in your bed.”

There was a long silence where Daehyun looked anywhere but at Youngjae and Youngjae's eyebrows raised.

“You're suggesting we share the bed?”

“Why not? It's cold!”

“Because... Tow guys sharing a bed... People would talk.”

“What people?” Daehyun gestured a hand towards the door, “The people who all went home on holiday, leaving just us here? Youngjae it's just between guys, it's fine.”

Youngjae squirmed uncomfortably but eventually relented. “Fine,” he sad, “but I want the wall side. I don't want you pushing me onto the floor. And if you snore I will kick you.”

“I don't snore! And even if I did you don't have the right to kick me off,” he huffed as Youngjae pulled himself onto the bed with his own duvet as well.

It took some awkward manoeuvring, lots of uncomfortably tangled limbs and more than one inappropriately placed body part until Youngjae was comfortably against the wall. Neither of them spoke a word as they lay facing away from each other.

The night wore on and Daehyun found himself still awake, slightly uncomfortable with the position he was lying in. After a quick internal argument, he gave in to his discomfort and rolled over.

He came nose-to-nose with Youngjae. Who was wide awake, and equally as surprised as Daehyun.

“I didn't realise you were still awake,” he half-whispered.

“I didn't know you were either,” Youngjae replied.

The younger's soft breath tickled at Daehyun's mouth and he briefly wondered if his breath had done the same to the other. “I um,” he said nervously, unsure why he felt the need to talk, “I didn't really mean what I said earlier.”

Youngjae's brow furrowed, “Huh?”

“That you're my source of food. I mean, you are, it's true that I rely on you because the snow isn't melted enough for me to actually go food shopping or expect a delivery van to make it near campus,” He bit his tongue for a moment to stop himself from rambling, trying his best to get to the point while Youngjae stared at him bewilderedly. “What I mean is, you're more than that. To me, I mean.”

“Oh.”

There was a tense pause.

“What am I then?”

Daehyun spluttered, hoping his reddening face wasn't obvious in the darkness. “W-well, you know, we hang out and, and we talk a lot and- and we played games and-”

“And we sang karaoke together that night,” Youngjae interjected.

“Yeah...”

There was another pause as Daehyun watched the other boy carefully, unsure where he was going with it.

“Daehyun-”

“Youngjae-”

They both stiffened a little as they spoke at the same time.

“You first,” Youngjae said.

“No, you,” Daehyun insisted.

Youngjae bit his lip for a moment, before speaking. “I... I enjoyed singing with you. You have a really good voice. I'd like to sing with you again... Even if it wasn't competitively.”

“Oh,” Daehyun said, feeling thoroughly lost, “Okay. Yeah. Sure.”

“I mean, I would like to do a duet with you,” Youngjae pressed on.

“Sure.”

“Like the one we did that night.”

“Yeah, yeah of course, I'd be happy t-” It dawned on Daehyun what the other was saying. “Oh...! Yes. Right.”

“Yeah...”

“Yeah! Of course, definitely. That would... Be really cool, actually. Maybe, when the weather gets better we can go to a proper karaoke place and maybe get some drinks and some food?”

“Sounds like a date,” Youngjae chuckled a little.

“Awesome~” he let out an airy laugh.

“What were you going to say?”

“Oh, mostly the same thing but without the singing part and more about the 'you make me food and you put up with me' part.”

Youngjae snorted and his fingers reached out, gently twining with Daehyun's under the blankets. Despite the darkness, the older was certain his red face must be visible.

“You know, um, despite my plans getting all mucked up... I've had a really nice time.”

“Me too... I know you had places to be but I'm glad you stayed. I'd have been really lonely otherwise.”

Daehyun grinned and snuggled close to the younger, who happily reciprocated the affection. As they began to doze off, arms around each other and comfortably warm in the bedsheets, Daehyun felt that the new year was going to be a very good one indeed.

 


	6. [Fluff] Worst Kept Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by yongguks-ramyun on AFF "It seemed to bap that daejae hated each other but they find out that they are dating."

“You two wait here while we get some food,” Himchan said, as he ushered the maknae line out of the door behind Yongguk.

“Yeah, sure,” Youngjae replied, turning the page of his book.

“Be quick! I'm starving,” Daehyun called out.

As Himchan nodded, he noticed Youngjae give Daehyun a look as though the older boy had said something stupid. With pursed lips, Himchan left the two vocalists alone.

 

“I wonder if they've had an argument,” Himchan mused as they waited in line in the local store.

“I hope they haven't, they were best friends. I'd hate it if any of us had a falling out,” Junhong mumbled, head resting on Jongup's shoulder.

“They're being unusually harsh to each other,” Jongup added thoughtfully, “it's more than just friends making fun of each other.”

“We can't have cracks coming between us, we're all we have,” the maknae mumbled again, looking miserable.

“Stop worrying too much,” Yongguk said in his soft, deep voice, “I'll talk to them when we get home. I'm not going to let whatever problems they may have cause any rifts among us.”

Himchan smiled, thanking whatever deities were out there that they'd been blessed with their level-headed leader.

 

“You three just go to the kitchen and work on setting up food, I'll talk to them in private,” Yongguk was saying as he opened the doors. He was just saying something else as they all walked into the main room, but the sight they walked into killed the words in his mouth.

Daehyun and Youngjae were glued at the mouth, hands fisted in each other's hair. Himchan slapped his hands over the maknae's eyes, causing the two dancers to yelp in surprise. Daehyun and Youngjae broke apart quickly and tried to jump away from each other as though nothing had happened, but their hair was still messed up and their faces red with embarrassment.

“Well,” Yongguk said after along awkward silence, “I guess we don't have to worry about you two having a fall out then.”

“What made you think that?” Daehyun asked, trying to fix his hair by raking his fingers through it quickly. His face was still red as a rose.

“You've been acting up recently, we thought your unusual behaviour was because you'd had an argument,” Himchan said, finally freeing the maknaes.

“Sorry for making you worried,” Youngjae apologised quietly, barely able to make eye contact with any of them.

“We were trying to keep us a secret. I guess that didn't work,” Daehyun added, fiddling with his hands.

“How long as this been going on?” Himchan asked.

The two boys glanced at each other before the older replied, “About two months?”

“Two months? And you didn't tell us?”

They hung their heads, now ashamed of their secrecy as well as thoroughly embarrassed.

“Hey,” Yongguk spoke up, voice gentle, “What matters is you're not on bad terms. You kids being happy is all I care about.” He smiled and turned to head to the kitchen. “Come on, we have food to eat.


	7. [romantic tension] Who Said I Was Proposing To You?

Daehyun hadn't been his normal self. He'd been as loud and obnoxious as usual, so it wasn't anything serious, but he'd become standoffish towards some of the members.

In fact, it was two very specific members.

“Daehyun.” Youngjae leaned over where the older boy sat on the sofa and snatched the TV remote out of his hands.

“Hey! Give that back!” the older vocalist turned sharply, arm extended.

“Nope! We're talking now. No TV.” The younger hit the power button, dropped the remote to the floor and kicked it under the sofa.

Daehyun spread his hands out in disbelief, brow knotted in irritation.

“Now that I have your attention, you can tell me why you're being weird.” Youngjae sat on the floor in front of the TV and crossed his arms.

“You're the one being weird, or is kicking stuff under furniture normal now and I missed the memo?”

“Stop whining, I'll get it back for you later and you can keep watching whatever crap is on. You're being weird to me and Junhong. Is this about that whole proposal thing?”

“No. What are you even talking about? What proposal thing? None of this matters, just go away.” Daehyun waved a hand and refused to look at the younger boy.

“Seriously? It's bothered you that badly? Daehyun, you know I was messing around.” When the older boy continued to ignore him, he tried again. “I wasn't trying to embarrass you, but you were being so ridiculous I couldn't help it.”

“If you're planning to apologise then do it, otherwise I'm not interested.”

“I'm not going to apologise. Why would I? I haven't done anything wrong!”

With a frustrated sigh, Daehyun pushed himself off the sofa and went to leave the room. Before he could take more than a few steps, however, the younger threw his hands out and grabbed him by the ankles.

“Get off-” he started to growl, before a sharp yank pulled him down. He grabbed the side of the sofa just in time to slow his fall. “Youngjae, what the hell-” he was once again cut off as the younger crawled over and sat on his thighs, holding him down.

“Are you going to talk to me now?”

Daehyun looked away, fighting the rising blush. “Get off me,” he mumbled.

“Nah, I'm good here. I'll probably get comfy and stick around until you grow up and talk to me like an adult and not storm off like a child.”

“You're sitting on me and you expect _me_ to be the one to act mature?”

“I tried talking to you rationally and you didn't respond. Now come on, spit it out. Why is me pretending to propose to Junhong such a problem to you?”

“It wasn't that you chose Junhong...” Daehyun mumbled.

“Then what?” Youngjae raised an eyebrow.

Daehyun's face contorted a little and he briefly considered shoving the other off, but knew it would be useless. “You avoided me. You deliberately didn't choose me. It didn't matter to you who you picked as long as it wasn't me.”

“You were being so pushy about it,” Youngjae rolled his eyes in exasperation, “of course I was going to pick someone else. I'm allowed to mess around with the others, you know.”

“But I wanted-” Daehyun started, before snapping his mouth shut and scowling.

“Wanted what?”

There was a long silence, older refusing to continue and younger waiting patiently.

“It doesn't matter. Let me go.”

“It does matter,” Youngjae insisted, “what did you want?”

The older boy's face slowly coloured red.

“What is up with you?” the younger laughed, “Come on, just talk.”

“I wanted.... To be the one you proposed to.”

“Well obviously,” Youngjae kept laughing, not quite picking up on what Daehyun was saying, “I got that from the way you kept standing up. You can't have all the spot light all the time. Don't be so demanding.”

“It wasn't about the spot light...” Daehyuns voice was uncharacteristically small.

Youngjae frowned down at the older vocalist, but his expression soon softened. “Daehyun...” He sighed and reached out to the boy beneath him and fixed his hair with gentle fingers.

“I never know where I stand with you,” he mumbled, closing his eyes at the feeling of his hair being touched.

“You don't stand anywhere until you make a decision,” Youngjae replied, smoothing his hair out, “Don't expect me to be the one to make the first move.”

With that, he gave Daehuyn's cheek a gentle pat and pushed himself off his thighs. Daehyun remained on the floor, watching the other vocalist walk away. Youngjae threw one last glance his way, a small smile on his lips, before vanishing into another room.

Daehyun reached his hands up and covered his face. Youngjae was just going to keep playing these games until he did something. Until he made the first move.

 _Trying to date someone shouldn't be this hard_ , he thought to himself as he lay on the floor.

 


	8. [Continued]Then I Will Confess To You

Continued from 'Who Said I Was Confessing To You' by request

* * *

Daehyun stood, stiff and lips pressed into a thin line, in front of the local grocery shop. His eyes were, gaze firm and stern, on a tub of pre-made bouquets. One had a little note sticking out of it reading “I love you!”. They were various shades of pink and red, all puffy petals and pretty smells.

It would be cheesy. Cheesy and embarrassing.

His hands clenched.

 

Grip firmly around the wrapped stems of a bouquet, Daehyun marched his way back to the dorms. To anyone watching he looked more a man ready to start a fight than one about to give flowers. He held the flowers with such vicious determination that he may as well have been holding a bomb. He attracted a few stares from his strangely aggressive body language combined so contrastingly to the bouquet.

He reached the dorms and took a moment, waiting for his hand to stop shaking so he could steady his key enough to unlock the door. He pushed his way into the building, staggering his way to the shared space with the flowers held out before him. The other members, who were lounging around chatting calmly, barely had a moment to turn their heads around before the words spilled out of him.

“Youngjae will you go out with me?”

There was a stunned silence.

Youngjae stared, eyes wide and mouth hanging open at Daehyun, who's hair has somehow become a little windswept and his face bright red. After a moment he shook the surprise off, stood, and marched towards the older man. Not saying a word, he put a hand to his shoulder and pushed him out of the room.

“Youngjae?” Daehyun said uncertainly as the two left the room, “is this a no? Or... Did I mess up?”

Youngjae stopped him in the hallway and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Um.”

“Really? Just like that? In front of the entire group?”

“I-”

“Don't you think this is more of a personal thing? You think you can just march in here with- with these really lovely flowers... And make some massive public demand for my affection? You think that'll work?”

Daehyun's face burned with shame and he looked down at his feet. “I... I thought-”

“Well it did.”

He looked up sharply, neck nearly clicking with the force. Youngjae was smiling at him, cheeks slightly rosy.

“The flowers are beautiful,” Youngjae said, taking the bouquet and smelling it, eyes closing for a moment, “Thank you.”

“Wait I'm confused,” Daehyun managed out, mind racing, “s-so... Is this a yes?”

“It's a yes,” the younger replied, giving him a half smirk.

“Oh! That's- That's great!” He let out a relieved breath. “Wow, um, I didn't really plan past this point.”

“Let me help you with that,” Youngjae said, setting the flowers aside. He cupped his hands along Daehyu's jaw, gazing into his eys for a moment, before leaning in and kissing him.

 

 


	9. [Theatre rivals AU] The Show Goes On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone requested Theatre Rivals and I don't remember who sorry lmao when I find your req i'll put your name here

The echo of feet on a wooden stage, the heavy curtains that hummed and shimmered as they opened, the blinding lights and rows and rows of seats that slowly faded into the darkness, the relentless warmth of equipment running all around them... There was nothing about theatre that Youngjae didn't love.

“Why are you just standing there?”

His brow twitched. Okay. There was one thing he didn't love. He turned his head to see Daehyun stood off side, one eyebrow raised and a smirk on his dumb lips.

“Forgot the lines? Maybe you shouldn't audition for the main role if you can't handle being up front.”

Youngjae clicked his tongue. “If I didn't audition then there'd be no point putting the show on at all. After all, no one pays to see mediocre performances.”

Daehyun frowned. “You're so self-absorbed, you'll never improve if you keep thinking you're the best.”

He rolled his eyes. “Please. I don't need to think about improving when I'm a hundred miles ahead of you.”

“A hundred miles, huh? That's when you get those 'honey vocals'? Question, does that nickname refer to when the honey has gone all dry and crunchy?”

“Cheap shot coming from a guy who wails like a dying cat.”

“At least I can hit a note. You can't even save your voice with emotion. Your acting is like watching milk go sour.”

“You watch milk go sour? That would explain why your line delivery is so bland.”

“All right, break it up you two,” Himchan's voice cut through the two of them. The older man was the show director, and their careers rested in his hands. “You two seriously need to learn to work together as a team. A performance is made of multiple people, not just the lead role.”

Daehyun laughed. “Yeah, _Jaejae_ , learn to be a team player.”

Youngjae bristled at the humiliating nickname. “Well, I'll make the effort to learn when you're cast as my understudy,” he said in a bitterly sweet tone.

“Go take a walk you two. No more arguing before auditions,” Himchan snapped. “Go on, shoo!”

 

Youngjae didn't listen to anyone else's audition. It would just throw him off. He'd never let anyone know, but in the moments when he was on his own he found himself getting desperately insecure. He swallowed another mouthful of water, desperate to make sure his throat was clear and hydrated. The 'honey vocals' comment had struck a nerve deeper in him than he was expecting.

Himchan loudly called his name from the seats and he took a deep breath before stepping out onto the stage.

 

He stared at the script, heartbroken. He knew his voice had wobbled, but putting him as a secondary character was somehow much worse than refusing to cast him all together – especially since he only sang in duets with someone else. He grumbled, knowing he was going to receive an earful from a smug Daehyun.

“So.”

There he was.

“I suppose you're proud of yourself?”

Youngjae looked up from the script to give him a firm glare. “Don't try me, I suppose you screeched at Himchan like a broken harmonica until he relented?”

Daehyun huffed. “Don't waste time making fun of me. Just get it over with.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“The boasting. Go on. Just get it all done now so I don't have to deal with it later.”

“Boasting? For a side character? Really, your standards must be low. Did they not even cast you?”

Daehyun blinked. “You didn't get lead?”

Youngjae flinched a little. “No. I didn't. Obviously.” He squinted. “Didn't you?”

Daehyun pursed his lips. “No.”

“Neither of you got it,” Himchan chimed in brightly. “Youngjae, your voice was unsteady. Daehyun, your line delivery was a mess. What happened to you two?” He sighed and shook his head. “I gave the role to Jongup.”

“Jongup!?” Daehyun nearly shouted.

“But he's nowhere near good enough! I've seen him express one emotion in his entire career and that was mild surprise!” Youngjae complained.

“He's worked hard and improved a lot. Whereas you two have gone downhill. Being at the top made you both lazy, and even your petty rivalry didn't inspire you to improve. Maybe being paired up will help things hm?” He pat them both encouragingly on the shoulders before walking off.

The two stared at each other, filled with dismay.

“If you drag my performance down, I will kill you,” Youngjae threatened.  
“It can't get any worse,” Daehyun hissed back.

 

“Why are you saying your lines so weirdly?” Youngjae huffed, a week into rehersals and thoroughly frustrated with his partner, “Have you forgotten how to act?”

Daehyun bristled. “I'm sorry. You were the one who said my line delivery was bland. I'm just trying to spruce it up!”

Youngjae groaned. “Dude I was just insulting you for the fun of it. Your line delivery is fine, Jesus, stop over-doing it.”

Daehyun blinked. “You think that?”

“Yeah, of course, otherwise you wouldn't be where you are. I mean, sometimes your lines are a bit flat but it's hardly dull.”

Daehyun's face had gone a bit pink. “Oh.”

Youngjae suddenly felt an overwhelming wash of guilt for making the other so insecure about his own art. “Hey... Just... Tone it down on the sprucing and you'll be perfect, okay?”

“Perfect?”

“Oh shut up and run through the script again.”

 

Three days before the show and Youngjae was nearly inhaling cup after cup of lemon tea and honey. Rehearsals with Daehyun had been... surprisingly successful. After the first few bumps and hurdles had been tackled with vicious rows and sullen silences, once they'd knuckled down to work they'd actually got a lot done. He'd even openly admit to Daehyun that his high notes were impressive. Of course he'd always thought that, but had never admit it to himself.

“If you keep drinking tea like that you'll make yourself ill,” Daehyun commented with a frown.

“No. It's good for your throat.”

“Uh, yeah, like one every day or so. Not eight cups in three hours. Since when do you chug lemon and honey like this?”

Youngjae didn't answer, instead draining the last of his drink.

“Seriously, I'm pretty sure it'll mess with your blood or something.”

He huffed. “Well I want my vocals to be clear. Not dry or whatever it was you said before.”

“Before...?” Daehyun blinked, then realised. “What? No, Youngjae, I was being an ass. Your voice is so smooth. You don't have to do all this.”

“Clearly it's not good enough or I would have got the lead role.”

“Well... You did turn down vocal practice a bunch of times... But your voice has improved mad amounts since we started rehearsing. If you'd practised before like you do now, you'd probably have the part.”

He felt his face heat up with anger and shame. He didn't respond, knowing Daehyun was right. He'd been lazy and the fact he'd only just started picking up his game was humiliating.

Daehyun pat his arm gently. “You'll get the next big role, I'm sure of it.”

He looked over at him and blinked. “What, you won't be auditioning?”

“Of course I will! But if you keep this up you might actually be a hundred miles ahead of me!”

He grinned, glad to finally have Daehyun on his side.

 

“That's a wrap!” Himchan shouted from backstage, calling all the exhausted performers over. “You did fantastic out there. The audience loved you. Jongup – you were incredible and you blew us all away. Daehyun, Youngjae – brilliant teamwork there. Everyone else, wonderful. Go get yourself a drink and take a break. Well done!” He clapped, delighted, before sending them all back to their dressing rooms.

“Hey, Youngjae,” Daehyun called as the cast dispersed themselves.

“Hey, nice work. I'm going to take one hell of a nap,” Youngjae said as the older jogged over to him.

“Yeah, you definitely deserve it.” Daehyun chuckled. “Um. Are you free this weekend?”

Youngjae looked at him, stretching his arms out. “Uh, I guess?”

“Do you... Um. Would you like to meet up?”

“Sure. Okay. For vocal practice or reading the script or-”

“Coffe.”

He blinked. “Huh?”

“You know. Go out and get coffee and chill somewhere..” Daehyun's face was an interesting shade of pink. “We don't really talk much at the theatre and I realised I don't know a lot about you so... Lets...Get coffee and..Talk.”

“You want to hang out with me?”

“Um. Yeah. Kinda.”

“Kinda?”

“Um... I mean, we can just hang out. I'm happy to do that but I was thinking maybe we could do this maybe more as a uh...” His face went a shade darker as he fumbled under Youngjae's baffled stare. “Date.”

Youngjae felt his cheeks tingle. “Oh. Um. Yeah. Okay. I'm...Sure. Let's do that. Lets go on a date. A coffee date.”

A relieved grin broke out across Daehyun's face. “Ah! Great. I'll... I'll sort out a time and, um, call you.”

“Sure. I'll wait!” Youngjae replied, trying to ignore the way his stomach flipped at the sight of that smile.

“I'm going to change now. See you in a bit!” The older boy bounded off to his dressing room, beaming.

Youngjae watched him and felt a smile cross his own face. He loved _everything_ about the theatre.

 


	10. [Blind Painter AU] Canvas

Requested by snoWhite_ at AFF "Daehyun would secretly observe Youngjae, a blind artiste working in an art shop? You can make Daehyun as a normal office worker lol. They fell in love at some point"

* * *

 

Paint caressed the canvas in long, measured strokes, the brush making a quiet hissing sound as it dragged over the rough texture. Each dip back into the paint was carefully calculated, free hand touching the ridge of the tin for guidance. The floor had a large sheet thrown across it to catch the drips of paint that fell from the brush and dribbled down the side of the tin. Around the large room were displayed wide canvases, all covered in abstract patterns,the paint shaped and textured.

The artist hummed as he painted, ignoring the drips of paint that landed on his apron and the smears on his hands from touching the tins. As he painted, the design reflected in the dark glasses balanced on his gently curved nose. Behind the lenses his long eyes gazed sightlessly, unfocussed. Soft hair had been scraped back under a cloth to avoid getting dirty

Daehyun watched silently from outside the art gallery window, holding his folder tightly in his hands. There wasn't anything beautiful or inspiring in them, just documents and spreadsheets and a printed powerpoint. But there was something beautiful in there. Something truly incredible that made him stop for a moment on his walks home.

He took a breath and reached out to push the door open for the first time since he'd started this job several months ago. A bell chimed to indicate his entering and he paused as the artist tilted his head towards him, brush stilled.

“Hello?”

“Uh, hi.” Daehyun swallowed nervously. “I came to look at your paintings.”

“Have a look then,” the painter replied and continued with what he was doing.

Daehyun nodded, forgetting that the painter couldn't see, and slowly walked around. He admired the blends of colour and shape, some bright and clashing, others muted, some that seemed to make shapes and others that were shapeless. Some had thin, flat paint that was perfectly even, and others were thickly textured to build sculptures from the colours. He raised a hand to touch one, amazed by the needle thin spikes that had been formed, but stopped himself. He'd probably break it,

After walking around slowly his eyes settled on a plaque by one particularly interesting painting. It was titled ' _The Book_ ', with a date and the name of the artist.

“You're Yoo Youngjae?” He asked.

“I'd hope so, that's what it says on all my work,” The painter, Youngjae, replied.

“Why did you start painting? Was it before...” He trailed off awkwardly.

“Before what? Before I lost my sight?” Youngjae laughed a little. “No, I lost my sight when I was a child. I have memories of colours and a few things but mostly nothing. No... I started painting because I couldn't see other peoples paintings.”

Daehyun gave him a confused expression. “What?”

A smirk tugged at Youngjae's lips. “I went to a school for children with different disabilities. In art class I was usually sculpting, but honestly I was terrible at it, but there were children painting. I couldn't even appreciate their art. I felt really left out, so I decided if I can't look at paintings I'll at least make them.”

Daehyun was silent for a moment, amazed. “Do you like your paintings?”

“I don't know.” Youngjae laughed a little and put his paintbrush down. “I can't see them. But other people seem to like them.”

Daehyun walked over to look at the finished canvas. “I like them,” he said.

“Good. Are you going to buy one?”

He blinked. “I don't know.”

“You don't know? You like them, so you should buy one.”

Daehyun hummed. “Maybe.”

Youngjae tutted and picked up a cloth to wipe his hands. “Maybe doesn't pay my bills.”

“If I see one I like enough to buy, I'll buy it.”

“You'll have to come here a lot.”

“I walk past every day on my way back from work. I'll come in every time you put something new up and see how I feel.”

Youngjae hummed. “A challenge. Which of my paintings do you like the most right now?”

“Huh?” He scratches his neck awkwardly. “ _The Book_ I guess.”

Youngjae nodded. “I'll remember that.”

“For what?”

“Making something you'll like.”

He sighed. “Honestly I don't really have that much money...”

“So start saving.” Youngjae smirked and stood, sealed all the tins and began to gather everything up. “What's your name?”

“Daehyun.”

“Got a family name, Daehyun?” Youngjae asked with some amusement.

He couldnt help pouting a little. “It's Jung.”

“Well Jung Daehyun I expect to see you back here soon,” he said from behind a tower of tins.

“Do you want any help?” Daehyun asked uncertainly.

“No thank you. I know where everything is and if you start picking things up I'll get confused. I need to clear away properlyso I can put the canvas out back to dry.”

Daehyun nodded. “I'll head home. I'll come back in soon.”

“Don't waste my time~” Youngjae called back as he headed towards the back door.

Daehyun sighed and shook his head, before leaving the building.

 

He found himself inside the gallery a week later, where the new canvas and several others had been hung up.

“Any new favourites?” Youngjae asked as he set up his canvas, tins in muted colours laid out in their places.

“This one is interesting,” Daehyun replied, staring at a painting with a thick textured border layered with colours, and a completely blank middle.

“You're going to have to tell me it's name.”

Daehyun quickly glanced down at the plaque. “It's called _A Window_.”

“Ah that.” Youngjae nodded.

“It looks more like a frame than a window. You can't see anything through it.”

“That would be because I can't see through windows.”

Daehyun blinked. “Oh. Yeah, right. I guess windows aren't that great for you.”

“Cold glass? Unless it's the patterned ones with all the bumps and the metal patterns, then no. Not really.”

He hummed and nodded. There was a lot more he was going to have to take into consideration.

 

“This,” Daehyun said thoughtfully, “is a very good one.”

The painting in front of him was of a very thick reddish brown ring, the centre of which was filled with textured spikes of bright red, green, yellow and black mixed together. The background was painted a soft green that slowly faded the further away from the ring it went.

“Daehyun.”

“Oh, right. It's called _Loose Leaf_.” He frowned. “Is this supposed to be tea? I don't think I've ever had tea that tasted that good.”

Youngjae's brush paused. “Really?”

“A lot of it tastes watery to me.”

Youngjae frowned, set his brush down, and stood. “That's not right. Follow me.”

Daehyun opened his mouth to ask, but Youngjae was already taking his apron off and the cloth around his head. Thick waves of brown hair fell about his face and Daehyun was silenced. Instead he mutely followed the painter into the back room, unsure what to expect.

To his surprise, though he should have guessed, there was a small wooden table and a mat to sit on, with a large solid teapot in the centre and a stack of small teacups. There was a gentle smell of spices and warmth coming from the teapot. Either side of the table were two large sitting cushions, both blue but one round and the other square. The square cushion seemed well worn.

“Sit on the round cushion,” Youngjae instructed as he made his way around the room, one hand touching the surfaces until he settled on the opposite side of the table on the square cushion.

Daehyun did as he was told, adjusting his legs to fit beneath the low table. “You keep a personal tearoom back here?”

“I like tea. It's simple to make and there's a lot of flavours,” Youngjae explained, setting the cups out.

Daehyun watched, interested, as the painter lifted the pot with one hand and used the other to line the spout with the edge of the cup. He seemed to focus carefully, as if listening to the tea pouring into the cup, before knowing when to stop the flow.

“Drink.”

Daehyun looked down at the deep green tea and lifted it slowly. He hummed a little before lifting it to his lips. Even before he tasted it the smell of ginger and pepper filled his senses. The first sip burned the tip of his tongue, but the hints of cinnamon didn't go unnoticed. “Wow,” he said, lowering the cup, “that tastes a lot better than the stuff I've had in packets.”

Youngjae nodded and smirked. “Even an idiot knows a well brewed Rooibos is better than that manufactured crap.”

Daehyun bit his lip and pouted.

“Have you just been neglecting your taste buds all this time? Treat yourself to nice flavours.”

He couldn't keep the offended tone out of his voice. “I'll have you know I am very much a foodie and I only ever have nice flavours.”

“Oh really?” Youngjae raised an eyebrow. “Do you make it yourself?”

Daehyun wavered. “Sometimes. I'm not that good a cook, but I know all the best places to eat out in town, as well as all the best take-aways.”

Youngjae hummed. “I don't really get take-away. None of them provide braille menus. Anyway it's always sloppy.”

“What?” Daehyun half cried, indignantly, before he caught himself. “Listen, I won't let you miss out on good food. Next time I come in, it'll be before closing so you'll have plenty of time to try all the good food you're missing out on!”

Youngjae sighed and sipped his tea, obviously exasperated. “If you want to, but I can guarantee I'll think it tastes like plastic.”

 

As it turned out, with Daehyun sat smugly eating from his own bowl, Youngjae did not find the food plastic-tasting at all.

“Okay, It doesn't taste... Terrible,” Youngjae admitted, dipping a piece of naan into the tub of madras. “I've definitely had better when I've been to a restaurant.”

Daehyun rolled his eyes. “It's not better, it's just different. This place does the best stuff – no where can beat their samosas!”

“Okay. Fine. You've convinced me that this one, specific place is worth getting food from.”

“Nope!” Daehyun laughed and set a paper bag on the table. “I've brought some tacos and quesadillas from the best Mexican place, as well as sushi AND some fishcakes from my favourite stand.”

“This is a lot of food...”

Daehyun blinked. “Huh? No this is hardly anything. I'm probably going to grab a burger from the joint by my apartment after this.”

“Are you actually human?” Youngjae asked, halfway between concern and amazement.

“Hey! It's not that much!”

“Come here and let me look at your face, I want to know your human,” Youngjae reached his hands out.

“Wha-?”

“Let me touch your face, idiot.”

He looked at Youngjae's curious fingers, unsure, before leaking forwards until the painter could reach him. Instantly Youngjae's fingers explored his face, mapping out the shape of his nose and mouth, tracing over his cheekbones and around his eyes, over his forehead and along his jaw.

“Um,” He said after a few awkwardly silent minutes of facing his face touched.

“Hm. Human after all.” Youngjae concluded and pulled his hands away. “You just really like food.”

“Uh, yeah, anyone could have told you that. You didn't need to grope my face.”

Youngjae shrugged and bit into a fishcake. “I was curious.”

“What? Wanted to know if I was handsome or not?” Daehyun smirked.

“Yeah. Shame. You're only a five at best.”

Daehyun spluttered indignantly as Youngjae laughed.

 

“What's your favourite this week?”

“ _The Night Sky_ ,” Daehyun replied. He was stood in front of it with a cup of fruity tea in his hand, admiring the purple washy background and pale yellow and blue spikes of paint. “Though I think whoever told you what colours the sky is, was messing with you.”

“No one told me. I painted it from memory,” Youngjae replied from behind his canvas.

Daehyun glanced over. “From memory?”

“Yeah. It's one of the few things I remember seeing. Maybe the colours changed in my mind, or maybe the sky changes colour a lot, but I remember the sky was dark purple and the stars were so bright, their colour changing all the time.”

Daehyun nodded and sipped his tea slowly. It amazed him how much Youngjae worked with memory of colour to paint the world around him. “Do you do anything beside painting? You know, in your free time?”

Youngjae paused and hummed. “I listen to the radio, I read...I used to go to the gym but I honestly couldn't be bothered to keep it up. I like trying new teas and cooking... Mostly I paint.”

“So you don't go out much?”

“My friends take me to our local ramen restaurant now and then, or we get drinks. But mostly if I go out it's for a walk around the local park.”

Daehyun frowned. “You should get out more, try new places.”

Youngjae hummed. “Fine. Take me out somewhere.”

“What?”

“You're the foodie, aren't you? Take me somewhere you think the food is good. If I'm going to paint something you'll buy, I might as well get to know your tastes.”

He huffed. “Fine. How's this weekend?”

“I'm free. There's my phone number on my business cards. Call me when you've sorted it all out.”

 

He couldn't help feel a little pressure as he sat in a booth in his favourite restaurant with Youngjae sat opposite. Youngjae had insisted Daehyun order for both of them via his recommendations. Considering the guy drank fancy teas with subtle spices and hints of herbs, he was starting to worry his tastes weren't so refined.

Youngjae, however, seemed quite happy where he was sat with his cane resting against his leg. Daehyun had worried that it might be a bit toonoisy or crowded, but Youngjae seemed happy with the atmosphere and the music that played in the background. He'd dressed comfortably for the occasion, with a long black cardigan, a wide-collared t-shirt and jeans. His hair had been brushed in a sweeping fringe with the usual dark lenses balanced on his nose. It was overall a very attractive look.

“Do you come here a lot?” Youngjae asked after tasting his drink and nodding a little, as though approving.

“Uh, only sometimes.”

“Why? I thought it was your favourite place.”

“It is! But it's nice here and I don't always have a reason to go.”

“Who says you need a reason?”

Daehyun opened his mouth to answer, but couldn't quite form a decent explanation for the various reasons before their food was set down before them.

“Ah, smells good!” Youngjae said, picking up his cutlery.

“It always does,”Daehyun smiled, feeling encouraged by Youngjae's response. He paused, just before he dug into his own food, to watch the other begin eating, waiting.

“It's good!” Youngjae decided after swallowing his mouthful.

Daehyun grinned. “Told you!” He shoved food into his mouth eagerly, delighted to be eating his favourite food.

“How do you find all the places you like anyway?”

Daehyun hummed around a mouthful of food. “Sometimes my friends work in them, sometimes it was recommendation.... Most of the time I just spot somewhere and decide to check it out.”

“Is there anywhere you haven't been?”

“Hmm, there's a French place I came across a few weeks ago I was thinking of checking out.”

“We should go there next?”

Daehyun paused, food halfway to his mouth. “Huh?”

“You have good taste, I'm sure you'll find something nice on the menu.”

“So I'm taking you places now, am I?”

“You're always in my gallery drinking my tea, might as well go around your haunts and eat food.”

“Is this going to inspire you to paint a picture I'll buy?” Daehyun raised an eyebrow.

“Oh definitely.”

 

Their trips to various places did seem to have an effect on Youngjae's art. Daehyun found himself choosing two or even three paintings as his favourites as the weeks went on. Something in them seemed more vibrant, more alive than before.

“You know,” Daehyun said as he watched Youngjae hum tunefully as he painted, “When I first met you, you seemed kinda smug, but now I realise you're just a fun, cute guy.”

Unexpectedly, Youngjae's face turned red. “What are you even saying?”

Daehyun blinked. “What's with that response? I like it.”

Youngjae's face went redder. “Shut up, I'm trying to paint.”

Amusement crossed Daehyun's features and he sidled over to stand by the painter. “You've never had trouble with me talking before. In fact, you're the only person I've met who's not annoyed by it.”

“Maybe I am and I don't say it.”

“Nah you're not. You like me talking.”

“I'll admit it. You're annoying.”

“I think you like the sound of my voice~”

Youngjae flicked his paintbrush at him. “Go away!”

Daehyun jumped back and laughed as he saw the orange splatters on his top. “If this doesn't wash out I'll make you buy me a new one.”

“Whatever,” Youngjae grumbled.

“How about I take you out somewhere nice this weekend?”

“Oh wow, you've never done that before.” Youngjae's voice was layered in sarcasm.

“I mean really nice. Like fancy nice.”

“Why would you do that?”

“For a date.”

Youngjae froze. “A date? Why would I go on a date with you?”

“Because you like my voice~”

Youngjae's ears burned.

He laughed. “It's not a lot different to what we normally do. Come on~ go on a date with me~”

Youngjae huffed. “Fine. But you're not getting any free art.”

“I'm not going to date you for free art.”

“Good because you're not getting any.”

 

Despite his attitude, Youngjae had clearly made an effort for the date. His hair was combed neatly to one side, and his skin glowing. He'd dressed in neat black trousers and a fitted t-shirt with a silk cardigan, lenses swapped for a pair that were slightly more stylish. Daehyun was impressed.

Once again,Youngjae had asked Daehyun to order everything. He seemed less tense, though a little bit nervous. Daehyun couldn't help but find it cute.

“Try the wine,” He said when the bottle was brought over.

Youngjae hummed as a small amount was poured into his glass and carefully lifted it to his lips. His eyebrows peaked, surprised. “This is nice.”

“Like you said, I have good taste.” Daehyun grinned.

When their food arrived, Youngjae was equally impressed. As he bit into the first mouthful he let out a happy noise. “How do you always know what's good?”

“Well, while you were trying to work out my tastes in paintings, I was working out your tastes in flavours.” Daehyun grinned.

Youngjae's face went pink. “So you're obsessed with me then?”

“You're the one trying to paint something I'll buy.”

“Ah but that gets me money. This loses you money.”

Daehyun laughed. “I don't mind spending money on things that make you smile.”

Youngjae's face went pinker.

Daehyun loved it.

 

At the end of the meal Youngjae was a little tipsy and had been happily chatting the whole evening, hair slowly falling out of place. Daehyun hadn't mentioned it, finding the gentle scruffiness charming.

“Walk me home?” Youngjae said as they stepped out.

“As long as you know that way.”

The painter scoffed. “Of course I do.” He reached out and grabbed Daehyun's arm, settling him on his left hand side.

They walked in peace for some time, the cool evening breeze ruffling their hair. The streets were mostly quiet, too late for people to be heading home, too early to be heading out for the night. The smell of food wafted from the various restaurants they passed until they reached the suburbs. The only time either spoke was Daehyun briefly commenting that it was a nice evening, and Youngjae humming in response.

They stopped outside a small house and Youngjae guided them to the door and found his keys, then carefully unlocked the door. He paused and turned a little to face Daehyun.

“I had a nice evening.”

Daehyun smiled. “Yeah, me too.”

“I wouldn't mind another one sometime.”

Daehyun felt his heart race. “Yeah! I'll find somewhere else you'll definitely love!”

A small smile crossed Youngjae's lips, and he seemed about to step in before he paused again. He reached out until his fingers met Daehyun's face, and he settled the palm of his hand against his cheek. He leaned in and placed a quick kiss to his other cheek. “Thank you.”

Daehyun's face burned and his heart hammered. “I- uh- Y-yeah.”

Youngjae's smile widened, amused. “Get home safe. Good night, Daehyun.”

“Right! Yeah, good night!”

Youngjae turned away from him and stepped inside, barely hiding his light laugh, leaving Daehyun flustered on the doorstep.

 

Youngjae was a little more smug when Daehyun went back to the gallery. He had a new canvas in front of him and was carefully measuring out distances between colours with his hand.

“Got a favourite?” Youngjae asked.

Daehyun hummed. “I like most of them. Your paintings are really... Alive, these days. They seem happy.”

Youngjae hummed. “Maybe you're just learning how to appreciate art better?”

Daehyun rolled his eyes and watched him paint, admiring the way his hands remained steady as he trailed thick lines across the canvas.

“You've gone quiet. What are you doing?” Youngjae asked suspiciously.

“Nothing! I'm just watching.”

“Watching what?”

“You.”

Youngjae frowned, cheeks heating up a little. “You're so embarrassing. Are you obsessed with me?”

“Yeah, a little bit.” Daehyun grinned.

The painter huffed and raised a hand to brush a few loose hairs back under his hair cloth. His thumb, covered in paint, smeared a little trail of yellow across his cheek.

Daehyun snorted.

“What?”

“You've got a little...”

“A little what?” Youngjae asked, irritated.

“Here, let me.”

Daehyun walked over and picked up the cloth the painter used to clean his hands, then carefully went to wipe the paint away. At first, Youngjae flinched away from his touch, but then leaned back in and let him clean his face. As he went to pull the cloth away, Youngjae grabbed his wrist.

“Hey... Have you ever... Painted anything?”

Daehyun blinked. “What?”

“Have you?”

“Uh...No?”

“Come here.” Youngjae pulled his arm until Daehyun was forced awkwardly between his legs, sat on the stool facing the canvas.

“Uh?”

“Give me your hand.” Youngjae took hold of Daehyun's hand and placed the paintbrush in it, then held his hand from behind. “Close your eyes.”

“Okay...” Daehyun swallowed. Youngjae was pressed close to his back and his hand was delicate and warm against his own. His heart was hammering and he wondered if the other could feel it. He closed his eyes and immediately felt vulnerable.

“Paint gently,” Youngjae whispered, and guided his hand to move the brush against the canvas. “Let your other senses know where you've painted before.”

Daehyun tried not to shiver a little as they painted long, sweeping lines across the canvas. Occasionally Youngjae would make him wipe the brush off and then dip it into another tin to change the colour. He didn't know how long they sat like that.

Eventually Youngjae made him set the brush down. “Open your eyes.”

Daehyun did so and stared at the canvas in front of him. It wasn't quite a masterpiece, but it was less a mess than he was expecting. They'd managed to follow the straight lines and curved it down the sides gently in coloured layers.

“Did you enjoy it?”

Daehyun nodded. “Yeah. I did.”

“So did I.”

His breath hitched a little as the painter wrapped his arms around his middle and rest his chin on his shoulder. “You have nice hands. Steady.”

“Thank you.”

Youngjae nuzzled his neck and let him go. “Move. I need to fix the mess you made.”

“I- Hang on, it's not a mess!” Daehyun pouted as he was pushed off the seat.

“To you. To the trained eye it's a catastrophe.”

“Oh shut up!”

 

Daehyun couldn't help feeling flustered, more so than the first date. He'd had an idea, and it seemed romantic and cool at the time but now he was starting to worry it was stupid. It was too late either way. Youngjae was already at his house in a long button-up shirt and nice shoes and his cane leaning against the doorway with the umbrellas, sat on Daehyun's couch with his legs neatly crossed over, a glass of wine in his hand.

“Okay, it's ready,” Daehyun said, setting down the hot bowls of food on the table.

Youngjae stood slowly and held an arm out for Daehyun to guide him to his seat. “It smells really nice. Are you sure you didn't buy this somewhere else and heat it up?” He joked.

“Hey! I worked hard on this!” Daehyun protested as he sat opposite him.

Youngjae chuckled and carefully ate his first mouthful, watched by Daehyun. “Ah! It's really nice! Well done.”

“I'll admit the first few times I tried to make it, it burned. But it's my mothers recipe so she guided me through it.”

“So... Really your mother made this?”

“I made this myself!” He pouted and began to eat his own food.

Youngjae laughed. “Well I like it either way.”

Daehyun glowed with pride.

As the evening went on they chatted and re-located themselves on the couch, huddled together with music playing and several glasses of wine.

“So you like my voice,” Daehyun began.

“Oh shut up about that,” Youngjae frowned.

“Ah, I will, I was going to continue to say... What else about me do you like?”

Youngjae hummed throughtfully. “Your money. You buy me good food.”

Daehyun nudged him. “I'm serious!”

Youngjae laughed. “Okay. Fine. I don't know, you're a nice guy. You're a lot of fun. You're not snooty about art and you don't pander to me because I'm blind.”

“That sounds sad. That sounds like you don't meet nice guys.”

Youngjae kicked his shin. “I said you're fun, too. Jees. Don't ask me weird questions.”

“I thought you might say I'm charming and charismatic and wear nice aftershave.”

“I've smelled better aftershave.”

“Hey!”

Youngjae sniggered. “Okay, what about me?”

“You're cute.”

Youngjae kicked him again.

“I'm serious! You're a cute, fun guy. You're passionate about what you do but you're not aggressive about it. You like to talk to people. You have nice hair.”

“Wow, I wish I hadn't asked. That was really sappy.”

Daehyun pouted.

“But you're allowed to go on about how great I am if you like.”

Daehyun gave him another nudge. “I will throw you out.”

“No you won't. You like me too much.” Youngjae cuddled against him and grinned. “Besides, I have an offer for you to let me stay.”

“Oh yeah?” Daehyun raised an eyebrow. “What's that?”

Youngjae sat up and raised his hands to touch Daehyun's face. When he'd settled his hands on his cheeks, he leaned in and kissed him slowly.

Daehyun's brow furrowed a little and he closed his eyes, leaning into the kiss.

Youngjae broke away too soon. “How's that?”

Daehyun didn't open his eyes immediately. “Yeah. Yeah, okay, you can stay.”

“Thought so~” Youngjae chuckled and leaned in to kiss him again.

 

Daehyun brought a paper bag of food from one of his favourite stands as he walked into the gallery.

“How is it you haven't even said 'hi' yet and I know it's you?” Youngjae asked, stood in front of his canvas and wiping his hands.

“How many times have you said that to someone today?” Daehyun laughed.

“Once, and I was right.” Youngjae smirked. “You're the only person in the city who asks for extra sauces on their rice cake.”

“Not true. Plenty of people do it!”

“Well you're the only one I'm aware of.” He closed the tins firmly and removed his apron and hair cloth.

“What's this one you've just finished?” Daehyun asked as he walked over. He stopped, amazed.

It was the painting he'd started with Youngjae, made of long straight coloured lines and curves. It was bright with dark edges and alternating textures.

“Wow.. It's... really nice.” Daehyun said slowly.

“Thank you. It's called _Canvas_.”

“It might actually be my favourite thing you've painted so far.”

“Good.” Youngjae smiled. “I painted it for you.”

Daehyun looked from the painter to the painting. “It's... beautiful. I love it.”

“I knew you would.” Youngjae grinned. “I know your tastes now. Just like you know mine.”

Daehyun laughs. “I guess you've won your challenge. I'm definitely having this.” He set a hand on Youngjae's shoulder and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

The painter blushed, but smiled. “You're not getting it for free.”

“Damn.”

 


End file.
